The Primary is O-V-E-R
08 June 2008 11:04 am by Taylor Marsh
BY TAYLOR MARSH
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George H.W. Bush called Ronald Reagan’s fiscal ideas “voodoo economics.”
He ended up being his vice president.
Mitt Romney called McCain “dishonest,”
among a host of other things that included a nasty
clash on Iraq and withdrawal statements. But because of his convenient conservatism he was endorsed
by wingnut radio and other conservative Republicans, which makes him a very
good choice to be McCain’s vice president. Whether he will be is another issue,
but Romney’s economic bona fides are a powerful case when added to conservative radio’s embrace of Slick Mitt.
The reporting over the primary season has been relentless, but it has
been truthful. It’s tough for Obama supporters to look
back on some of the work around here, I understand. But that’s what happens
in hard contests when you believe in different candidates. A lot was said on
Obama’s side too, some of it very hard to swallow. But on both sides that’s
what has to be done. Again, it’s what happens in the run up to any general election. Check history. In fact, this primary season wasn’t even as bad as most. It’s just that it’s freshest.
There is real consternation right now among Hillary supporters over the outcome of
the primary season. I understand it. Some are clearly righteous, but some of
the arguments are down right desperate. Quoting or linking to articles six months
old as a retrospective on how campaigns shake out in the end or what happened during the primary is one thing. But
reality today paints another picture.
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Hillary Clinton has endorsed and thrown her full support behind Barack Obama.
Howard Wolfson and Rep. Charlie Rangel on “Face the Nation” spoke
perfectly about where Clinton supporters are today. We still believe in Hillary
Clinton wholeheartedly. As I’ve said many times, any time, anywhere, any year, Hillary, I’ll be there for you again. But now we have another job to do, which is to
defeat John McCain. Hillary knows this all too well.
Senator McCain is a war hero, but he is one of the prime reasons we are still
in Iraq. That’s a problem for me. He can try to backtrack from his 100 years
remark, but the reality is that he has now embraced parts of the Democratic
plan to redeploy, because he and his staff know he stepped in it on that one. The other problem is his total and complete embrace of Mr. Bush in order to capture the nomination. Along with it comes the Bush baggage.
Senator McCain also has a horrendous record on women’s civil rights. Reports
of him calling his wife the “c” word is the least of it. Laughing
when a supporter asked “How do we beat the bitch,” when he thought
no one would know is another. Thinking that state or federal authorities have
the right to tell me what to do with my own body is another. There are other issues as well.
‘My marriage ended because John McCain didn’t want to be 40, he wanted to be 25. You know that happens…it just does.’
Some of McCain’s acquaintances are less forgiving, however. They portray the politician as a self-centred womaniser who effectively abandoned his crippled wife to ‘play the field’. They accuse him of finally settling on Cindy, a former rodeo beauty queen, for financial reasons….
Barack Obama has a lot of work to do going forward. Fighting GOP negative
ads on his pastor problems is just one of them, which isn’t going away any time soon. The question of why Obama sat in that church for 20 years is one that has still not been answered to satisfaction. As a spiritual and religious person, I just don’t get it. Many others don’t either. Senator Obama also stepped into it recently
on Jerusalem as well, which I’ll write about as soon as I can clear my head
and focus again. He’s got real working class perception problems, which I believe
can be bridged, but it will take serious effort and won’t be easy. He began by just showing up in Appalachia recently. It’s a start.
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There are those Hillary supporters who just can’t get their heads around supporting
Barack Obama. Who think John McCain is the answer. I can understand being neutral
about both choices if you’re a Hillary supporter, but I cannot fathom throwing
weight behind John McCain. He and Hillary are friends, but their philosophies
are miles apart, which both admit, so it makes no sense. Some cite “revenge
on the DNC” as a reason to support McCain. Nothing could be more self-destructive
or self-serving. Getting even with the DNC at the expense of our country is a morally bankrupt choice.
It’s tough to lose. Hillary showed everyone the way through yesterday by giving
the most magnificent speech of her career, some say an historic speech, with which I concur. She’s asking all of us, no matter
how hard, to put this country first and help a Democrat get elected in November. Those ideals bind us.
Hillary has put the primary in the past, including all that happened, even
though she’ll obviously be reconciling much of it for months to come and will never forget what happened, while analyzing the mistakes made. But she’s willing to fully and
heartily endorse Barack Obama. He’d do the same if the positions were reversed. It’s what happens after primaries end. She’s asking us to do the same.
I stand with
Hillary. I will follow her lead.
Taylor Marsh, I salute you. Many feminist blogs are advocating voting for
McCain in protest. I will never vote for someone who joked about Chelsea like
he did. I am one of those 18 million cracks, and I truly believe that she
will one day be president.If not her, then our collective cracks will ensure
that another one of us will! This was a tremendous speech. She is an amazing
pioneer. I laud her graciousness. I love my country, and I will do what she
is doing, work my heart out to elect Obama, because my party is better for
this country than theirs. They have made it almost unrecongnizable, and I
will not be a party to letting them keep power. I will do what Hillary and
democrats all over this country will do: I will vote for Barak Obama. – pj
Oh, and for all you McCain operatives jumping into the comment sections here.
Welcome. We’re on to you. You’re not going to win.
